STAND AND DELIVER-THIS IS NOT!
My lunch semi-1/2 hour was cut short today. The kids started a fire today during their lunch period. Then they went back into their class kicking basketballs around the class and riding their bike around the classroom. One student was arrested for running from the cops who were called because of the fire. He was confirmed to have been blunted (i.e., keyed, stoned, peeled back, cheeched, toasted, chinese-eyed, crunked) before class along with 3 other students. Two days ago this student told me he was going to stab me. Today he could barely keep his eyes opened, until his mom came to pick him up before he ran out the door only to be slammed to concrete by pursuing officers, with his mom looking on crying, “Johnny!” Prior to that, a student asked another student what happened to the “screw-driver?” leaving me to wonder is someone was getting shanked today, and to search them. After all, there is a girl in my class that was expelled for having made a shank out of a toothbrush and taking it to class to shank the students. Yesterday with a teachers subbing for me, some students set off the fire extinguisher, and a student (about 200 lbs) pushed the sub 2x’s.
As far as being called names, it was a fairly mellow day. Normally before the first hour is up I have been called nearly every foul name in the book (even some that aren’t in the book). One student, who dictated to me that he wasn’t leaving the class after I asked him repeatedly to leave, was expelled. He has been suspended a total of 18 days. I found his weakness though…his mom. He was crying like a baby when she took him away.
Everyday, from 8 to 3 pm with a half hour break for lunch, I am with the most heinous class you can think of. Many people, when I tell them of the circumstances, and that in a program that is only a year old 4 aids and two teachers have quit (one having had a brick thrown at his head), they tell me, “you gotta watch stand and deliver.” Let me say, this ain’t stand and deliver. Prayer and the Bible that get me through. It is all I desire, all that give me peace, and all that I have time for after an insane day where every day is a battle, and getting to 3 o’clock is a victory. For you see, I am virtually alone in the class. My aide is a late 60’s man with a colonoscopy bag under his shirt. Other than him, I am the only male on the premises. I am the only teacher on campus, and mine is the only classroom on campus of a migrant health building.
O what a season this has been. And to think I have only been working there for 3 weeks!
